Rachel Zimmer on co-founder dynamics, going through an exit and coaching entrepreneurs

Off the Record with Aram

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When starting a company and looking for a co-founder consider these 2 scenarios.

1. I’ve got an idea, come join me as a “co-founder”, but really more like an employee.

It’s my business that you happen to come join. Feeling excited?

2. Here’s a a huge issue in the industry and this is how I started thinking about solving it.

Would you like to join me as a co-founder and figure out how to tackle it?

No one wants to work on someone else’s idea.

It’s like you are not a real co-founder.

Instead. Start with a problem and you’ll build a team around you.

Talking points:

- Two vs Three co-founders dynamic - how does it work

- Why Rachel decided to sell her company, 5Crowd

- What founders need to be aware of before selling their business

- How Rachel kept herself up through ups and downs of running her business

About Rachel:

Rachel is the General Manager of Entrepreneur First, a $140M fund that bets on people first, and then coaches them to find their breakthrough ideas.

She’s been named Top 30 Under 30 by Marketing Magazine, Young Entrepreneur of the Year by Desjardins Bank and Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year by the Toronto Board of Trade.

She previously started her company, 5Crowd that crowdsourced advertising engagements from fortune 500 marketing departments.